CHENNAI, INDIA, February 12, 2015 (NDTV): Cricket is a religion in India, quite literally. A cricket-lover in Chennai has built a Cricket Ganesha temple that has statues of Lord Ganesha in several cricketing avatars. Cricket-lovers flock to the temple to pray for the Indian team, as the World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
The Sri Palayathamman Cricket Ganesha Temple is located in Chennai’s Anna Nagar East area. Eleven Ganeshas welcome devotees and cricket lovers, installed right next to the principal deity, Amman. These include the Square Drive Ganesha swinging his bat, the Spinner Ganesha holding a ball, ready to bowl and the padded Wicket Keeper Ganesha. The star attraction is the 11-headed Ganesha, symbolizing the Indian cricket team.
The founder of this temple, Ramakrishnan, has also composed cricket bhajans, which he recites during his pooja. “Ganesha will bless both right-handed and left-handed players equally in the game, whether he’s a batsman or a bowler. So, if devotees worship him sincerely, they will perform better,” he says.